Hana yori Dango

Hana yori Dango is a Japanese manga series written by Yohko Kamio[?]. It is published in the bi-weekly anthology magazine, Margaret, which is aimed at high-school-age girls. The manga series has run continuously from October 2002, and has been collected into 34 volumes to date. As of this writing, the story has been adapted in Japan into an animated TV series, an animated one-shot OVA, and a live-action movie. It has also served as the basis for a live-action drama TV series from Taiwan called Meteor Garden[?], which has spawned off an idol-singer group, F4[?].

Story Tsukushi Makino, a working-class girl, attends an elite elevator school[?], populated by children from rich, high-society families. The son of the wealthiest, most powerful family in Japan, Tsukasa Doumyouji, takes an interest in Tsukushi and tries to woo her. The physical obstacles and emotional challenges of their rocky high-school courtship form the basis of the story.

Setting Modern-day Tokyo, Japan is the main setting, with a focus on its current social flaws and economic problems. Atami[?], Japan; Paris, France; New York, USA; and Canada are also featured in the story. All of the characters are normal humans, and most of the main cast are high-school students in the 10th to 12th grades (ages 16 to 18).

References Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has been cited by fans as a possible inspiration because of the similar central story of two headstrong people in love separated by class differences and clashing personalities.

The series' title, Hana yori Dango (literally "Boys before Blossoms"), is a word-play of a Japanese saying, "Food before Blossoms", with the implication being that boys and romance are a necessity for living akin to eating.